Register control mechanism



Dec. 29, 1942. F. J. ROUAN i REGISTOR CONTROL MECHANISM Filled Jan. 11, 1941 2 she'ets s'heet 1 n w Y rfm.

Patented Dec. 2%), 1942 UNITED STATES:

PATENT OFFICE REGISTER CONTROL MECHANISM Application January 11, 1941, Serial No. 374,076

4 Claims.

This invention relates to the control of an ascending and descending register and more particularly to a delayed transfer associated therewith.

One object of the invention is to provide means whereby actuation of two independent register units and the operation of a delayed transfer is provided during one cycle of a register actuator.

It is another object of the invention'to provide a delayed transfer of compact and novel design which is especially capable of operation at high speed.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrange ment of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that various changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a crosssectional view through a totalizer and transfer mechanism including the actuator drive therefor;

Fig. 2 is a part elevational and part sectional view, showing the drive means for a totalizer actuator, including a Geneva drive for the actuation of transfer mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a detailed elevational view with parts in section, taken in the direction of the arrow 3 on Fig. 1 and showing part of the transfer actuator mechanism; and

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 and showing particularly the transfer pawls and actuating transfer dogs.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the register comprises two distinct but identical units, one indicated generally at A, Which will be referred to as the ascending register unit and the other indicated at D, which will be referred to as the descending register unit. In view of both of said register units being identical, it will be necessary to only describe one unit where the parts of each are identical, and for this purpose the ascending unit A will be described. Such parts in the unit D, which are a duplicate of those of the unit A, will have the same reference characters applied thereto, but with the exponent (i added, for the proper identification of same.

Referring therefore to the unit A, the same comprises a plurality of indicator wheels If], each Wheel of which has a pinion ll fixed thereto, 55

also a transfer dog l2. Meshing with the pinion II is an intermediate pinion I3. The indicator wheels It are carried by a shaft l4 and the intermediate pinions iii are carried by a shaft l5. Meshing with the intermediate pinion I3 is another pinion lB on a shaft I1, and fixed to said pinion IE5 is a driven gear 18.

The gear l8 and its companion gear l8d, of the unit D, are arranged in close proximity to one another, and each is adapted to be driven by a segmental actuator I9. Said actuator 19 is of the variable tooth or mutilated gear construction, having a variable number of teeth ranging from 1 to 9 teeth and is adapted for .r adjustment relative to the gears l8, |8d to drive said gears a distance equal to from One up to nine teeth, in accordance with the position at which the variable toothed actuator I9 is adjusted. An actuator gear of this character is i normally adapted to be adjusted by suitable manwhich, although not being identical in structure,

are identical in their operating characteristics for the control of the ascending and descending registers. Description therefore will be directed r to the transfer means Which is associated with the ascending totalizer, and said portions which are similar in the descending transfer means will bear identical reference characters but with the exponent 01 added thereto. Referring particularly to the transfer pawls of the register unit A, the same comprises a longitudinally slidable member 22, which has an elongated opening 23 therein, and is normally supported at each end thereof. One point of support is provided by means of a projecting finger 24, which bears against a supporting surface 25 of a support bar 25. The opposite end of said transfer pawl 22 has a slot 2'! therein, and is adapted to be supported by a rod 28 which extends therethrough. Also at the latter end of the pawl 22 is a projecting finger 3|, which normally lies in the path of the transfer dog 22!. when the transfer dog completes a full revolution, which occurs at the time indicator wheel passes from a 9 to a 0 position, the said dog Will engage the finger 3| of the transfer pawl and move said pawl longitudinally along its supporting members 20 and 28. When the transfer dog 22 is moved, it is retained in its adjusted position by means of a detent pawl 33, Said pawl 22 is further provided with a bent lip portion 32 which lip forms a cam surface and is adapted to deflect a transfer actuator member to a transfer actuating position.

The transfer actuator, which is best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, comprises a ring 34, which ring has a tooth 35 projecting beyond the edge thereof. Said ring is confined within a cup-shaped member 36 and is normally urged against the inner wall thereof by means of a spring 31. A cap 38 is provided to close the open end of the cupshaped member. Said cup member is fixed to a driven shaft 39 and has a clearance opening 4| through the wall thereof, through which the tooth 35 projects. Upon rotation of the shaft 39, the tooth 35 will be moved through a circumferential path, which path is in alignment with that of the cam surface of the lip 32, on the transfer pawl 22. When the transfer pawl 22 is in its lowermost position as shown in Fig. 4, the tooth 35 will ride clear of the lip portion 32. When, however, the said transfer pawl 22 is adjusted to a transfer position by the engagement of the dog 12 with the finger 3|, as described above, the said lip portion 32 will project into the path of the tooth 35. The said tooth 35 will engage the lip 32 and be camnied sidewardly into the path of the intermediate pinion l3, to thus engage and drive said pinion 13 the distance of one tooth and advance the indicator wheel H! of next higher order one digit.

One transfer actuator is provided for each indlcator wheel and the several actuators are arranged on the shaft 39 in a staggered relation, as shown in Fig. 2, so that each transfer is effected at a different period during the revolution of the driven shaft 39.

Said transfer mechanism controls the transfer of each of the two register units during one cycle or revolution of the variable toothed actuator gear l9. To permit the said actuator gear l9 to complete its drive of the first register unit A through the driven gear I8, means is provided to withhold the drive of the transfer actuating mechanism until after the drive of the said unit A. Said means comprises a Geneva drive arm 42, which is carried by a shaft 40 and is diiven from the main drive shaft 43. Said shaft 43 supports the variable toothed gear l9, and has a drive gear 44 fixed thereon which drives an intermediate gear 45 and gear 46, the gear 46 being rotatable with the Geneva drive arm 42. The arm 42 has a roller 41 thereon which is adapted to engage with the wall of a slotted end 48 of a Geneva member 49, after the gear 46 has rotated through approximately a full revolution. The ratio of the gearing 44--45 is 2 to 1, therefore, the gear 46 and arm 42 will rotate through two revolutions to the one revolution of the variable toothed gear [9. During the second revolution of the gear 46, the Geneva member 49 will move a mutilated gear into engage ment with a gear 53, which latter gear is driven with the gear 46 and arm 42. The drive of said gear 5|, and the transfer actuator shaft 39, to which it is attached, is thus continued through a revolution to provide for the transfer operations in both of the register units A and B, in the manner described above.

As each of the teeth 35 of the transfer actuators completes a transfer, an overthrow preventing cam 54 which is positioned directly back of the tooth 35, will engage one end 55 of a lever 56, to rock said lever about a supporting shaft 51. A detent 58, formed as a part of the end 55,

will engage between the teeth of a star wheel 59 immediately after a tooth 35 completes a transfer to thereby prevent overthrow. The star wheel is fixed to the intermediate pinion l3 and thus chokes the rotation of the register indicator wheel ID. The same choke lever 56 performs a double duty in effecting a choke of each of the two register units A and B, there being an end 55d on the said lever 56 which is engaged by the choke arm 54 and a detent 5811 which will engage the teeth of a star wheel 59d of the register unit D.

Choking of the indicator wheels is provided, after entry of an amount therein by the actuator i9, by means of a cam 6!, which is adapted to engage the head 62 of a lever 63 and move said lever to a choking position to effect a choke at the instant the last tooth of the actuator 19 leaves the gear IS. A tail B4 projecting from the lever 63 has a pin 65 therein which is adapted to engage a tail 66 of a choke pawl 61. When the lever 63 is rocked by the cam 6i, the pin 65 will rock the pawl 6'! to move the detent portion 63 of said pawl into a choking position between the teeth of the pinion I I.

A similar choking arrangement is provided for the pinion lid of the register D by the engagement of a pin 65d with the detent head 68d of detent lever Biol.

Restoring of the transfer pawls 22, which have been set in a transfer position, is effected by means of teeth H which contact with shoulder portions IQ-12d. on the transfer pawls 22-22d when a transfer has been completed.

Having described the invention, what is claimed 1. In mechanism of the character described, the combination with an ascending register and a descending register, including indicator wheels and drive gears for each register; of an actuator gear adapted to drive one then the other of the said drive gears of each register, delayed action transfer means associated with the register drive gears of the ascending register, delayed action transfer means associated with the register drive gears of the descending register, each of said transfer means being adapted to effect a transfer in the drive gears of the respective registers, means to drive the actuator gear, and means connected with the actuator gear drive to drive the transfer means after the actuator gear has completed its drive of one of the registers.

2. In mechanism of the character described, the combination with an ascending register and a descending register, including indicator wheels and drive gears for each register, of an actuator gear adapted to drive one then the other of the said drive gears of each register, delayed action transfer means associated with the register drive gears of the ascending register, delayed action transfer means associated with the register drive gears of the descending register, each of said transfer means being adapted to effect a transfer in the drive gears of the respective registers, means to drive the actuator gear, and a Geneva drive connected with the actuator gear drive to effect a drive of the transfer means after the actuator gear has completed its drive of one of the registers.

3. In a duo-register device including two sets of indicator wheels and a transmission drive for each indicator wheel; an actuator movable to drive first one transmission drive then the other, transfer dogs associated with each of the indicator wheels, transfer pawls having one of their ends projecting in the paths of the trans fer dogs and adapted for endwise adjustment when engaged by said dogs, the transfer pawls of one register crossing the transfer pawls of the other register, a shaft passing through clearance openings in said transfer pawls at the point of intersection of said pawls, and rotatable transfer actuating members carried by said shaft and having yieldable single toothed members adjustable into driving relation with the transmission drive of either register by the transfer pawls after any transfer dog moves an associated transfer pawl to a transfer position.

4. In a duo-register device including two sets of indicator wheels and a transmission drive for each indicator wheel; an actuator movable to drive first one transmission drive then the other, transfer dogs associated with each of the indicator wheels, transfer pawls having one of their ends projecting in the paths of the transfer dogs and adapted for endwise adjustment when engaged by said dogs, means to support the pawls at the ends thereof, the transfer pawls of one register crossing the transfer pawls of the other register, a shaft passing through clearance openings in said transfer pawls at the point of intersection of said pawls, and rotatable transfer actuating members carried by said shaft and having yieldable single toothed members adjustable into driving relation with the transmission drive of either register by the transfer pawls after any transfer dog moves an associated transfer pawl to a transfer position.

FRANCIS J. ROUAN. 

